A STATE OF MIND is an engaging little British documentary that follows the path of two young North Korean girls who are training to take part in regular 'games' held in that country, games that show off spectacular choreography and colour as a way to honour the country's leaders. The documentary is interesting because it shows the other side of the story, with cameras allowed inside the country so the viewers can witness real life there without the hyberbole.
The documentary works because the focus is on real people, and you spend long enough with them to get to know and understand what drives them and how they feel. The glimpses of North Korean life we witness are often enthralling, and I particularly enjoyed the training sequences which show off some incredible acrobatic skills. We'll never know whether A STATE OF MIND tells the full story or not, but I'm left feeling sad that this country remains isolated from the rest of the world and unable to integrate on an international scale. North Koreans seem far from the bogeymen portrayed in western media.
The documentary works because the focus is on real people, and you spend long enough with them to get to know and understand what drives them and how they feel. The glimpses of North Korean life we witness are often enthralling, and I particularly enjoyed the training sequences which show off some incredible acrobatic skills. We'll never know whether A STATE OF MIND tells the full story or not, but I'm left feeling sad that this country remains isolated from the rest of the world and unable to integrate on an international scale. North Koreans seem far from the bogeymen portrayed in western media.